Friday, April 5, 2013

President Obama's Budget Will Be DOA in House with Social Security Spending Cuts in Exchange for Higher Taxes

“The president will only accept these spending cuts if congressional Republicans, for their part, agree to higher taxes, the official added.”

As I was checking out various websites this morning, I couldn't believe what I was reading on Twitter and other sites from both sides of the political spectrum. It told me many don't understand how good President Obama has become in playing politics with the hard right in Congress. Obama is becoming a master and the left needs to chill when something is broken by the media because as Easley points out even Reuters put the offer of cuts on Social Security first but the key part was down below where the President will agree to spending cuts if Republicans agree to higher taxes which is DOA. So many people read the headlines and forgot to read the story if Twitter is an example.

More and more I am finding that Politicususa.com gives you the straight scoop with links. They gather the facts and then write their articles - this is another example of very good journalism instead of running with the headline and forgetting the rest of the story or writing the story to fit your narrative. This is also why they are one of my first stops when looking for ideas for this blog.

This ploy by President Obama reminds me of President Reagan and how deals were cut. Only problem is these Republicans today are unlike the Democrats with Reagan as the GOP members of Congress have a credibility program and obstruct at all costs for their wealthy donors and lobbyists afraid someone is going to primary them. Unfortunately, Majority Leader Sen Harry Reid (D-NV) shows the tendencies of being afraid of some of his donors too like the NRA, but fortunately the vast majority of Democrats today are working for what is best for the American people not their donors.

This deal offered by Obama made me laugh as it is so obvious that the GOP won't take the deal because then they would face Tea Party/hard right challenges to their reelection so they do what they are told by Koch Bros and their organizations. All they care about is reelection and keeping that Government 'handout' check coming in because with the limited number of days they work, it is a 'handout' from the taxpayers.

By tying his Social Security cuts to tax increases, President Obama has offered Republicans the same deal that he has been proposing for years. It is also a deal that will Republicans will never in a million years accept.

Reuters put the offer of cuts to Social Security in the lead, but the twist in in the paragraph below, “However, the president will only accept these spending cuts if congressional Republicans, for their part, agree to higher taxes, the official added. The President’s budget proposal is due to be laid out in full on Wednesday.”

The New York Times revealed that the President is using the offer of Social Security cuts to break the Republican resistance to tax hikes, “Congressional Republicans have dug in against any new tax revenues after higher taxes for the affluent were approved at the start of the year. The administration’s hope is to create cracks in Republicans’ antitax resistance, especially in the Senate, as constituents complain about the across-the-board cuts in military and domestic programs that took effect March 1.”

(snip)

This is why the 2014 election is so important. If Democrats take back the House and keep the Senate, President Obama won’t have to do a “grand bargain.” He will be able to push for a new stimulus and tax increases. By voting next year for candidates who promise to protect needed programs, you can do your part to protect Social Security.

President Obama has been playing a game with Republicans where he dangles Chained CPI out there then takes it back.

I would suggest that what the President is doing is a carrot and stick tactic, but what Obama is really offering Republicans is a carrot and being whacked on the head with a spiked aluminum baseball bat.

If Republicans agree to raise taxes again, their party will be fractured and destroyed. They understand that taxes are the only issue holding them together. This is why Obama’s offer is dead in the water. It is also why some on the left need to stop looking at only one tree (Social Security) and examine the whole forest (the potential for long term victory.)

Be strong, be vigilant, and say no to Chained CPI, but also know that Obama doesn’t want to cut Social Security. The president is trying to break the Republican will on taxes.

Read more on the issue from Jason Easley from Politicususa who understands what is happening with the President's budget. He took time to do the research and figure it out versus the hand wringing of so many on the left while the right is going completely over the cliff with the very idea that he would try to box them into a corner. Guess they figured he would just sit back and eventually give in to their wishes. Note to Republicans in Congress - "You lost the White House, the Senate, and should have lost the House except for your extreme gerrymandering." Not only did Republicans lose the 2012 elections, they are about to get scorched in 2014 as a lot of Republicans are madder at the obstructionist GOP in Congress then the Democrats.

Just remember the next time a Republican mentions handouts, remind them that their members of Congress are getting the handouts from the taxpayer for a 3-day work week. How many Republicans are giving back part of their salary during sequester? Still looking!

The New Times reports that President Obama, Secretary of Defense Hagel and Deputy Secretary of Defense Carter as well as other members of the Cabinet are giving back money in solidarity with the Government workers. Yesterday freshman Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said she would also give a portion of her salary back along with Senator Mark Begich, (D-AK).

By the end of the day yesterday more cabinet members and Democrat members of Congress had decided to give back a part of their salary for every day federal employees have to take a furlough day. Amazing that so far all we are hearing from are Democrats and the Party that caused Sequester with the refusal to agree to closing tax loopholes on the wealthy, Republicans, are silent.

According to the New York Times aides to Speaker John A. Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, declined to say whether the two Republican lawmakers would return a portion of their salaries.

Guess GOP Leadership in Congress hasn't been told by their puppet masters if they can give part of their salary back because they don't make a move without the donors and lobbyists being on board with their decisions.

Unlike 2010 when Democrats stayed home and didn't vote which gave the Country the obstructionist House Republican Leadership, it is mandatory that Democrats get out to vote to take enough seats from Republicans to flip the House and keep the Senate so the Country can get moving forward instead of being mired in partisan Republican stubbornness and rhetoric. A coalition of voters is already forming as part of Organization for Action from the Democrats, Independents, and Centrist Republicans who have had enough of the hard right obstructionists in Congress and our State Legislatures.